


On my family’s homestead

by scap3goat (kriegswaffel)



Series: A variation in retrospect [3]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Pon Farr (mentioned), Spiced Peaches (e-zine), Vulcan Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-03 08:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4093312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kriegswaffel/pseuds/scap3goat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Starfleet Lieutenant gets a strange mission and an insight into a secretive culture he’d never thought possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On my family’s homestead

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in Spiced Peaches XLI.

2329 A.C. 

When Manning had asked whether Picard still was as good as a shuttle flyer as he'd been during his academy days the young officer hadn't anticipated that a 'yes' would mean he end up getting send to the hangar by instantly to pick up a shuttlecraft and rendevouz with the _USS Duarte_ to pick up personnel to take to Vulcan.

He didn't understand why, only why him: currently the Vulcan sector was overrun by plasma storms that needed a great deal of manoeuvring when travelling with a smaller craft. Commercial lines had already stopped several lines to Vulcan and Andoria until the storms would pass within the next week.

Why the personnel wasn't transported by a larger ship and transported down on the surface was beyond him - and also probably beyond his pay grade to question.

So he ended up in the _Duarte's_ hangar bay waiting by his shuttle for whomever was needed so urgently on Vulcan.

He only lazily turned his head when the hangar door opened but instantly stood to attention when he recognised first the approaching officer's rank, then the man himself.

"Admiral McCoy," he greeted and was given a once-over by the other.

"Lieutenant. I hope you're as much of a risk-taker as they implied and an even better pilot."

"Jean-Luc Picard. And, yes, sir. One of the best during my days at the Academy, I still hold a record today."

McCoy nodded. "Let's go. I've had a few bumpy rides, I hope this one isn't going to be in the top five."

They boarded together and Picard mechanically went through the pre-flight preparations, requested permission from the Duarte's flight controller to depart and eventually they took off.

 

=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=

 

At first Picard was convinced their two day trip would be as quiet as the first two hours when McCoy hadn't spoken a word. But suddenly the Admiral began to quiz Picard about his personal history and Picard answered and, before he realised it, made small-talk with a legend of deep space exploration.

When asking for the reason that had McCoy hurry to Vulcan, without a few days to spare until the storms in the sector would pass, McCoy only replied that he was late for his best friend's wedding. Picard felt a little giddy inside, considering the circumstances he was wondering whether he'd be meeting Spock as well.

So far the trip wasn't as boring as he'd anticipated it to be.

Instead he was excited and when McCoy had sent him to rest before they'd enter Vulcan space and he'd need his whole concentration for avoiding the storms and that he'd be able to steer the shuttle until then Picard even found himself unable to sleep. He got up again and was about to join McCoy when he heard the Admiral's hushed voice from the front of the shuttle.

"Not long. If he's as good as they say we might even make it by noon. He's a nice kid. Reminds me of a few people we've known."

There were words he couldn't make out coming from the comm and McCoy chuckled.

"See you tomorrow," McCoy said and the cockpit darkened fractionally as the view screen shut off and only showed space again.

Picard waited for another two minutes or so before emerging and offering McCoy tea as he was making himself tea anyway.

"Earl Grey isn't exactly conductive to good sleep," McCoy said as Picard handed him the cup. "And not exactly french."

Picard shrugged and sat down. "It's a habit I've picked up from a friend. I drink it a lot, it's calming me, usually. It might help you stay up while I rest."

McCoy nodded and they sipped the tea in silence until Picard eventually finally felt able to rest.

"Just call me when we're approaching the storms."

 

=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=

 

About seven hours later McCoy did wake him and went to rest himself.

Picard was too absorbed in navigating the storms to think about the circumstances any more. They had to drop out of warp ever so often to navigate a particularly small passage between storms and warp space disturbances and so the trip that usually would be no more than an hour, even if in their tiny Warp 4 shuttle, extended to about half a day.

Into hour six of navigating around plasma flares McCoy got up again, looking a little restless and worse for wear although the trip so far had been quiet and he should have been able to catch a few hours of sleep.

"Another two if we can proceed at this speed," Picard answered the unasked question. "Maybe a little less, depending on how far the solar winds are keeping the storms out of the Vulcan system."

McCoy nodded. He got Picard something to eat but claimed not to be hungry himself.

"Are you married?" he suddenly asked and Picard turned his head in surprise.

"No. As a matter of fact I don't have anyone right now."

McCoy nodded, absentmindedly. "Trust an old man, there's worse than picking a friend. Falling in love is a great feeling, but with a friend you know that they'll be with you, for better or worse."

"I'll keep it in mind," Picard answered.

McCoy only nodded and stayed silent, just staring out into space. When Picard announced that they'd be able to go back to full speed until they were at the Vulcan system and proceed as normal from there McCoy sent a brief text-only subspace message.

Although ignorant of its content, Picard assumed that it was the message that prompted Vulcan Space Control to hail them the moment they came into sensor range. They gave Picard coordinates and clearance for landing.

He glanced sideways at McCoy, wondering what exactly was going on that this man mustn't miss his best friend's wedding.

 

=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=#=/\=

 

At first nothing became clearer when they landed not far from a stone circle - the archeologist in Picard yearning to analyse the date and history of the construction - and found themselves alone there.

"Stay here. Don't speak, unless spoken to. And whatever happens, stay out of it," McCoy ordered when they'd stepped into the stone circle and walked towards the centre of it alone where a slate of green stone, or so it looked to Picard, hung. McCoy picked up a small hammer and hit the slate that resonated like a gong made of metal and Picard wanted to analyse it even more.

McCoy hit the gong a second time after a pause and not long after two men in ceremonial dress and carrying lavishly engraved lirpas entered followed by four more carrying an elderly Vulcan on a chair. When the chair had been set down Picard could also see the last two members of the party and identified them as Spock and his father Sarek.

"McCoy, son of David," the women spoke. "Thee have returned to kun-ut, the sacred place of marriage."

McCoy bowed to her. "T'Pau, I am honoured by your presence."

"Thee have brought an outworlder. Is he a worthy to witness our sacred rites?"

Picard felt all eyes on him and tried his best not to flinch.

"He's Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard, an officer of Starfleet. An honourable man destined for greatness."

T'Pau turned her head to Picard. "Are McCoy's claims the truth? Doest thee honour our rites, accepting not to share them under the principle of the Silences?"

"Yes, Ma'am," was the only thing Picard managed, realising what was going on.

When T'Pau remained silent after that McCoy lifted the hammer once again and a third strike echoed over the land.

"I call Spock, son of Sarek, son of Skonn," he said with a strong voice, the knuckles of the hand around the hammer's handle going white. "Thy blood has called out to me across the stars. I'm here for kun-ut so'lik."

He hit the gong once more.

"I will answer to all challenges as my claim to Spock is honest and true."

Now Picard realised why McCoy had warned him to stay out of anything that he might see - the prospect of McCoy answering to a challenge made his stomach do a backflip. The man was a good century old and looked as frail as glass. They couldn't honestly expect him to fight. He was still trying to assess whether McCoy was in any real danger when the two warriors stepped forward.

Before he could even register the new situation fully, though, Spock stepped forward, passing between the two warriors and forward to McCoy. He lowered his hands from where they'd been steepled in front of his face and gave the Human a long, contemplative look.

"Does your blood not burn for me?" Spock asked in a hoarse voice.

"My blood does not burn as I am Human. But my heart burns for you in just the same way."

"Will you burn with me?"

"In every way," McCoy answered.

"I accept," Spock finally said and McCoy hit the gong again before hanging it back up with the gong and lifted his fingers in the same way Spock had and touched his to the Vulcan's.

"It is observed that by the sacred rites thee have claimed one another in marriage," T'Pau noted. The four men picked up her chair again and followed the two armed warriors out of the stone circle.

Picard pretended to be interested in his boots while Spock and McCoy still stood in the centre of the circle, the Vulcan's free hand now on McCoy's face. The Lieutenant didn't even notice Sarek stepped up to him until the elder Vulcan spoke.

"We thank you for your service. Without you this would have been delayed and it was a matter of urgency."

Picard nodded and slowly a grin sneaked on his face.

"We shall be in your debt, Picard. We will not require your service right now. You may join your ship again."

McCoy had stepped up to Picard as well. "He's right. I'll stay for a few days and leave for Earth when the storms have dissipated."

Sarek and Spock had turned to leave already and Picard bit McCoy a hasty goodbye before the man turned and followed the two Vulcans.

It wasn't until he was back in the shuttle and on his way into sector space that he fully realised what he'd witnessed. He was still grinning widely, the joy of having experienced living history, a ritual that possibly hadn't changed in centuries, filled him.

Not being able to share his experience didn't matter as much as he was sure that he'd remember every second of it until the day he'd die.


End file.
